Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-27
RANGERS ASKED FOR.
The County Judge of Starr County
Reveals a Sad State of Affairs
Down on the Rio Grande.
The Governor Appealed to for Rangers
to Drive Out Bandtte, Outlaws
and Cut.Thr0ats.
Wealthy Ran chmen Seized and made to
Buy Their Ltberty-The Citizens
Afraid TO Complain.
A STATE OF LAWLEssNEss.

this morning received the following COM
munication which speaks for itself:
Rio GRANDE CITY, DC. y, 1887.
To Hon. L. S. Ross, Governor of Texas, Austin.
HONORABLE SIR-N0 doubt through
communications, newspapers ard other
wise you have already been to some ex-
tent informed Of the condition OF our
county. A number of bandits, outlaws
and cutthroats have invaded this county
robbing and numbering our people and
our official force is powerless TO suppress
them. O2l9 { few weeks since wealthy
stockmsn was caught on the highway by
five OF these bandits and taken thence to
their comrades, in all, twelve men. They
took from him $4e0 he had with him and
then demanded of MIN $500 before they
would release him and made him write
letter 10 his son to the effect that if the
money was not paid in so many days ne
WOULD BE KILLED.
The man was held for tWenty-one days
before the money WAS paid. The ranca-
men are in fear of their lives and the loss
of their property. The Sheriff, with
posse of men, is in search Of the bandits,
out he can learn nothing of them,
although it is evident that many of thoee
from whom he makes Inquiries can put
him on their trail, but they fear to do SO,
as they sometimes confess. They say if
they tell they will be murdered and prob
ably their wives and children robbed
They say IF we should be forced to ktl
one OF their men we would then have the
Law to fear,' and they have
GOOD REASON THEREFOR.
A few years since, and this is only one
lnstauce out Of many,a ranchmen followed
d thief who had stolen sew
ercl head of his horses and
killed him. He gave himself up, stating
the facts, yet he was indicted and tried
and though acquitted, it cost him about
$500 and this man too, one of the best
citizeDs in STAR county. Only yesterday
two prominent merchants here received
anonymous letters demanding OF one
$4,000 and Of the other SIS, 600 to be paid
in fifteen days with
THREATS OF HORRIBLE CoNsFQUENCEs
il Gaee Of failure TO comply Some
Esnehnen are moving to town. Back in
fthe county they ale concentrating
their families on one Tancn
for protection. 1t would consume too
much Of your valuable time were to
give g full statement OF the cond ton Of
affairs and state Ct feeling in this county.
now, in the name OF tie good people #
ny county, appeal TO you, the only power
that can give US cid, to come to our relief
by any means within your power. l will
however suggest that you send Us two or
three ranger if you cannot send Us more,
with full power to swear in such re-
Inducements
EEEn
We have the men and they are willing
to enlist until the war is over and until
every one Of these thieves is eXtjnguished
and the county set free. II the state can
not pay am satisfied we can raise sui
fcient money to pay the extra force. /
will state that the authorities on the
Mexican side are now fully organized end
ready and willing TO do everything in
Their power to rid the country Of these
characters, and they ask as
TO DO LIKEWISE,
but we can only co it through your ex-
cellency. Finally, let me edd, that this
will not permit OF delay, but
demands immediate action. I therefore
most earnestly and respectfully ask that
you give this matter your immediate at
tention and respond in every way within
your authority to our relief. Respect
fully submitted,
JAMES LIVINGSTON,
County Judge Starr county.
To this letter is appended the follow
ing:
We, the undersigned officials and citi-
zens OF Starr county fully approve the
foregoing statement OF the county Judge,
and earnestly request that the relief
thereiR asked for will be granted.
ssgg W. Shelly, Sheriff
= j. r. Monroe, Attorney-at-law.
James j. Nix, Deputy collector of Gus
toms.
Paul Hess, County surveyor.
Rafael Aidrete, county commissioner.
l.. TreVino, merchants.
E. Marks, district clerk.
X. j. Barbour, county commissioner.
h. Block, merchant.
To this letter Governor Ross this morn
ing telegraphed reply IS follows:
EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
AUSTIN, TEX, o t. %. 1887.
James Livingston, County Judge of Starr Coun-
ty, BIO Grande City, Texas
Prior to the receipt of your communI-
cation, which was the first one reaching
me from an official source, had ordered
ranger force to the
hELIEF OF YOUR PEOPLEs
Rest assured that the full power Of the
state government will be exercised in
your behalf. L. S. Ross,
Governor.
Captains Schmit's and Jones' compa-
MES are en- route to the disturbed dis
trict, and if necessary they will be REIN
forced until the people on the border and
the United States at Ringgold barracks
have ample protection from the Mexican
bandits.
FEARFUL or BEING KIDNAPPED.
Special to the Gazette.
BROWNSVILLE, Tex. Oct. 26.-The
wealthy merchants 81 Rio Graude City
are in state of terror, owing to the
brutes of Mexico and bandits who demand
of them money or their lives IS well as the
lives OF their families, all of which infor-
mation is contsineo in the following cor
respondence obtained by your reporter
direct by wire from the parties them